Missing
by FirstLastAlways
Summary: In the midst of geopolitical intrigue, Anna goes missing and it's up to Elsa to find her. What follows is when normal people get caught up in politics and war. Modern AU. Anna & Elsa, with supporting roles from other "Frozen" characters and Rapunzel from "Tangled." Anna & Elsa are sisters (no icest) but not royalty and Elsa has no powers.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** : This is my first fic, so I hope it's enjoyable. Just a few notes:

Italics signifies a flashback, regular font is present day.

Anna & Elsa are still sisters but not royalty, and Elsa has no powers.

Think of this world as a modernized version of the one in the film. Arendelle, Weselton, Corona, etc., are countries that behave like our world.

* * *

 _The taxi crawled along the cobblestone streets, jostling the passengers inside. The driver didn't seem to mind. Anna stared out the window at the old buildings as they went past. Grey, brown, black, red—the architecture was lovely and old. The people of Weselton went about their lives as usual: working, shopping, eating, playing. "It's a lot like Arendelle," she thought, "and not at all like what they told us." But there was one difference she could discern. In those faces she watched, Anna noticed a grayness, a sadness. "That's what economic sanctions will do," she thought._

 _Anna turned to her right where Kristoff and Rapunzel sat. Both were asleep, piled against each other. She smiled. She was thankful that they both decided to come along with her on this endeavor. She was barely a few sentences into asking them a few weeks ago before they both said yes. "It's good what you want to do," Rapunzel had said, "and besides, I've never been there, so double plus!" Kristoff had smiled and replied, "I go where you go, lady!"_

 _Elsa, however, was a different matter._

 _Anna distinctly remembered her sister's face upon telling her the philanthropic mission she was planning. Those icy blue eyes had stared at her with such disappointment. Anna felt like she was in the principal's office, sitting in that uncomfortable chair in front of Elsa's massive metal and glass desk, being lectured to. "Anna, in theory what you're proposing is a good thing, I suppose. If it were any other country, you'd have my full blessing. But it's simply futile. The government of Weselton knows what it did and it got what it deserved. Our government did the right thing. That's simply the geopolitical situation." Anna had left her chair and walked over to the far side of the room, looking out the window, dejected at Elsa's words._

 _"What do you know about helping others, Elsa? What gives you the right to pass that kind of judgement over me?" Anna had replied. "What have you done for anyone other than your investors, huh? You only even speak to me when your assistants make time in your schedule…" Anna remembered choking back tears then and was doing it even now. She remembered Elsa softly placing a hand on her shoulder and said, "Look, this company employs a lot of people and provides goods and services to the citizens of Arendelle. And as its chief, I bear a lot of responsibility, Anna, and I'm sorry that keeps us apart. God knows mom and dad wouldn't have wanted that…" Anna recalled the sharp tinge of pain that had entered her heart upon the mention of her parents. She had turned around to face Elsa, the tears welling up in her eyes again. Elsa had seen the anguish on her face, and the two had shared a hug. "I'm sorry, Anna. I shouldn't have said that." Anna had let herself be led back to the desk, where they'd sat down again. Elsa had leaned back in her chair and sighed. "I still think it's an unwise decision but it's your life, Anna."_

 _Anna had then stood up and sighed, "Thanks, sis."_

 _The taxi stopped suddenly, snapping Anna out of her memories, and waking Eugene and Rapunzel. The driver pointed out the window, "Your hotel." They all got out, the driver helping them with their bags. Kristoff was kind enough to cover the cost of the ride. Anna couldn't help but notice the amount of military types in the area, some going in and out of the building. Nearby were parked some jeeps with armed soldiers in them, and further down a street Anna thought she saw a tank. A fighter jet rumbled by far overhead. "How strange," she thought. Taking her bags, she went inside._

* * *

"I'm sorry, what? No no, please, slow down. How do you know that? Well she's a headstrong woman, always has been. I'm sure she's fine. Maybe she's…I don't know. Listen, let me put you on hold for a minute, okay? Thanks."

Elsa pressed the button and put the receiver down, letting an exasperated groan. She got up and walked over to the mini-fridge, opened it and took out a bottle of water. She twisted the cap off and took a generous gulp. She took a deep breath, sat down and picked up the phone again.

"Rapunzel? Yes. Look, have you tried the consulate or the embassy? They have to care, she's a citizen of Arendelle. Yes, I understand that they're busy and so should you. Yes, I watch the news, I know what's going on. Well I guess you guys picked a perfect time to go there, huh? Ugh, Rapunzel, listen, I know this is very alarming for you, but trust me, Anna is perfectly capable of taking care of herself, there's really no need to worry. She's probably at a hotel somewhere, or staying with a friend. Maybe she got lost somewhere. Well I don't know, do you? If it's only been just over twenty four hours, then file a report with the local police and keep in contact with the embassy. She'll turn up. No, there's no need for me to come down there right now. Call me again if the situation changes, okay? Goodbye."

Elsa slammed the phone down. She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. Rapunzel was a nice girl, at least in the handful of times they'd met, but that phone call was too much panic and paranoia. A prime minister's daughter should have more sense than that, she thought. But she could see how the friendship between she and Anna worked. Both were effervescent to say the least, and full of good intentions and charm, and a certain naivety about the way the world worked.

Elsa, however, knew the ways of the world. Everything in her life had taught her something important. Her strong educational pedigree provided the foundation; with her intelligence she could handle anything. Her business acumen was astounding—working her way up in her father's firm from just a clerk to CEO was proof of that. Under her leadership the company grew and grew, turning massive profits and smashing the competition. She was a shining jewel in Arendelle, looked upon by many. That offered her a lot of clout in influential circles, both at home and abroad. Her mother's position as a Minister of Foreign Affairs certainly helped, too.

Elsa opened a drawer of her desk and pulled out a framed photograph of her family. It was a candid of time spent at the beach many years ago. Everyone looked so happy. She traced her fingers over the glass, remembering the conversation she had with Anna so many weeks ago. She remember the feeling of pain in her heart upon mentioning the death of her parents so casually to Anna. The young girl never seemed to have dealt with that tragedy as well as Elsa did. She thought, did I really deal with it that well myself? She put the photograph back in the drawer and slammed it shut. Her mother and father's deaths taught her the most important lesson of all: the world was a cruel and unforgiving place, and anything that was yours could be taken away. Unless you fight for it, she quietly reminded herself.

Her assistant buzzed her on the intercom, informing her of her next meeting in ten minutes. She glanced at her watch. She gathered up her papers and her tablet, pausing to check her reflection in the window before leaving the room.

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Wow, I haven't written those words in forever. When I get back, I should look for my old diary, should be good for a laugh :-P Anyway Kristoff, Rapunzel & I have been in Weselton for a little over a week now. We stayed at the hotel the first several days so we could get on our feet, even though it would've been real nice to stay there longer. But we found ourselves a nice little bungalow to rent and operate out of. We've already made some headway in our work here, which makes me feel great._

 _What happened between Weselton and Arendelle can't be changed. Politics is like that, I guess. But that doesn't mean that the people have to suffer. They weren't the ones who did anything wrong. Since we've been here, I've been talking to the people of Weselton and getting to know them and their stories. Their quality of life has been severely diminished because of the economic sanctions. Basic commodities and goods are in short supply, and the price of practically everything has skyrocketed. There are long lines for basic items like bread and milk and meat. Stores are rationing their items, and some families must go without what they need. Banks are struggling to stay afloat with all the pressure put upon them. The whole country is going through not only a socioeconomic crisis, but a crisis of national identity as well. The once proud people of Weselton are searching for answers yet they still try to hold their heads high and carry on. I admire them for that._

 _Kristoff has been wonderful. He's taken it upon himself to do the heavy lifting around here, both literally and figuratively—after we rented this place he went out and found furniture and appliances and all the other things we needed to get by. He's always the first one up each morning, prepping for the day's work, and he's the last one to go to bed each night. He always keeps a positive can-do attitude and is always thinking of ways we can do more. His passion is so genuine and so inspiring. I love and adore that man so much. Rapunzel is so great too. She's not above using her status in Corona to help effect change. She's enjoying her time here so much, interacting with the locals and making their lives better. She's almost a minor celebrity around here, it seems._ _She's in contact with her parents and trying to get their government to assist by sending some kind of aid package of loans and supplies, but apparently there's some kind of delay, she says. Like I said before, politics. Anyway, we've teamed up with a couple of local charities and churches to get people the supplies they need, in addition to the ones we had sent down._

 _There's one weird thing I've noticed since we arrived. There's a fairly strong military presence here. I mean, I knew Weselton had its own army and such, but it seems rather large for such a small country. They always seem to be clustered around the government buildings and big hotels and other businesses, lots of armed soldiers in jeeps and important-looking generals. I've also seen a lot of them coming in and out of the city. I can hear them at night sometimes. It seems there's a lot more in the mountains and forests further inland. Today I tried talking to some of the locals about it, but most of them seemed unwilling to discuss it. One of them came up to me afterwards and mentioned rumors about a military coup. That's crazy! I know the situation is bad but does that kind of thing still happen these days?_

 _I wonder what Elsa's doing right now. I miss her. I want to call her but she's probably busy with work. She's_ _always_ _working. Maybe tomorrow._

* * *

Elsa sat on her couch and turned the TV to the news, hoping for a report on what was happening in Weselton. She had read a few articles regarding the situation. In the last week or so, the military had staged a coup against the government, overthrowing the Duke and installing themselves to power. That was the extent of concrete information coming out of the country since they were denying entry to foreign news outlets. But there were mixed and unverified reports of much more. Some said there were riots in the streets and lots of bloodshed, while others said it was a relatively peaceful process. Foreigners were being rounded up and expelled from the country and some news outlets said no such thing was occurring. There were even reports that the new government, with no new head actually named, wanted to reestablish full trade relations with Arendelle. Good luck, Elsa thought.

One thing she _was_ certain of was that this geopolitical situation was wreaking havoc on the markets. They had been closing much lower than normal these last several days. That in turn was wreaking havoc on her company. There were worrying murmurs from investors, which she did her best to dissuade.

As she watched the TV, Elsa's thoughts drifted to Anna. It had been a couple days since Rapunzel's frantic phone call and she'd heard nothing from no one. She was sure they had their own affairs to tend to, especially with everything that was going on. They're just really busy, she told herself. It's not like they would give up on Anna in the midst of everything. But you did, she reminded herself. Elsa shook her head, surprised at the thought. She would never think of her sister as some mere casual acquaintance. Sure, her job ate up most of her time and prevented her from spending time with Anna but that was just the nature of her work. When was the last time we actually had time together, she asked herself. Well, it was when she came into my office…no, that doesn't count. That was almost like a business meeting, she thought. Elsa thought carefully about it, her eyes darting around. It dawned upon her, and she put a hand to her mouth to stifle the gasp. She honestly couldn't remember when she and Anna had last been together, really together, like sisters should. She couldn't remember a lunch or a shopping trip or movie or even just a nice conversation. She felt her eyes water up, her insides churning. How horrible, she thought, how horrible have I been to her? That poor girl looked up to her and only ever wanted the love and acceptance and approval that one sibling can give to another, she told herself. She only wanted you to be happy for her and the journey she was going to take. That accusatory voice came slinking back, this time whispering: And look what you've done to her, Elsa. Letting her go away to some horrible place without so much as a care and now she's probably—

"Shut up," she hissed aloud.

Elsa got off the couch and grabbed her phone, pausing before dialing a number. She was rich, she was smart, and she had power. She knew people. She was going to get to the bottom of this. Anna was coming home.

* * *

 _Anna sat in the shade of the café's patio, sipping her iced tea and finishing a sandwich. The busy little establishment was in an equally busy square of the city, surrounded by quaint little shops and homes. It was a nice mix of modernity and the gentle past. The late afternoon sun cast a lovely orange glow over everything. Anna had accomplished a lot today by pushing into other parts of the city and spreading word of their goodwill mission. They were making many more contacts with locals who wanted to help and expanding their network. Their little bungalow had become a meeting center each morning, with everyone attending reviewing the previous day's work and its successes and planning that day's activities. She smiled, reaching into her bag for her diary to jot down some notes._

 _As she wrote, two military jeeps pulled up alongside the café. The drivers in each stayed put, idling the engines while the remaining armed soldiers got out, led by a tall bearded man smoking a cigarette and wearing large dark sunglasses. His camouflage uniform was more neat and better-looking than his men. Anna saw he had some kind of insignia or medals on the front of it; she assumed him to be a captain or high-ranked officer. They strolled into the café and looked around intently, as if searching for someone. Anna noticed the noise of the café died down considerably. As she watched, the captain and his soldiers converged on a busboy near the back who looked at them nervously as they approached. The captain pointed at him and said in a loud voice, "You come with us." The busboy was visibly shaken and in an instant, he threw his plastic tub of dishes at the men and ran into the kitchen. They chased after him and the sound of yelling and breaking plates erupted from the kitchen. The café was dead silent. After a few moments, two of the soldiers burst through the double doors dragging the busboy, who had a nasty bruise on his forehead and blood dripping from his nose. The rest of the soldiers and their commander followed. As Anna watched, they threw the busboy into one of the jeeps and sped off. No one had said a word or had done anything for his defense._

 _Anna hurriedly got up to leave the café and in her haste almost forgot to pay. She then walked down a nearby street to the bus stop she got off at in hopes to find a bus that would take her back the other way. No such luck. She walked another block, still nothing. She walked back across the square and found a bus stop but it wasn't the one she needed. She wished she had taken her bike today and that she'd stayed in an area of the city she knew better, or at least took someone with her today. She sighed in exasperation and began approaching passersby, asking if they knew where she could find the bus she needed. Most said they didn't know or instead just waved her off, mistaking her for a beggar. After another fifteen minutes of asking, she found someone who pointed out the direction of the stop she needed. She thanked them and rushed off. As she turned the corner, she saw the bus pull away. Anna hustled, waving and yelling at the bus to no avail. Sighing aloud, she stomped over to the bus shelter and sat down. She saw no schedule posted. "Guess I'll just wait," she said aloud to no one. The seat was kind of uncomfortable, and the sun was blasting right at her. Not good for a redhead like me, she thought. She leaned her head against the back of the shelter and closed her eyes._

 _When she opened them again it was dark and the streets were completely empty. She jumped up, shocked that she'd dozed off like that. Kristoff and Rapunzel must be worried sick, she told herself. She looked around again—not a soul in sight. She ran back to the square—silent. Anna felt a tremor in her hand and clenched it. "Get it together, Anna," she whispered to herself. She went back the way she came and stood beneath a street light, peering into the darkness. She remembered that the bus passed over a bridge before it went into an area of the city she didn't know well. She pulled her jacket tight around her and started on her way._

 _The city at this time of night was a completely different animal, not only just from the daytime but from any city she'd ever been to. There were barely any lights on in any homes or other buildings. Here and there, she'd hear a dog barking or the distant wail of a police siren. No cars passed her and she saw no one, not even a jogger or people walking home from a bar. When does this city shut down, she asked herself. She continued on._

 _There was a cool breeze blowing, whispering through the trees. Lucky for Anna, the streets were well lit. And the skies were clear, the moon not quite full. She watched the stars twinkle, their positions in the sky the only familiar thing to her right now. She felt some measure of comfort from that._

 _It had been twenty or thirty minutes of walking when she approached the bridge. She sighed in relief, for her journey was almost over. She knew the way back to the house easily from here. But she noticed a small group of people gathered on the far side of the bridge, clustered around a couple of vehicles parked in the middle of the road. Getting closer she noticed they were soldiers. She paused for a minute, clenching and unclenching her fists. She took a deep breath and walked on._

 _One of the men heard her approaching and quickly turned around, shining his flashlight on her. The others stood ready, clutching their guns._

 _"What are you doing out so late?"_

 _"I…umm…fell asleep at the bus stop way back there," Anna meekly pointed, "and now I'm walking home…"_

 _"Such a pretty girl like you shouldn't be out by herself in a place like this," replied another soldier. He sauntered up to Anna. "Haven't you heard that Weselton's a dangerous place now?"_

 _The rest of the soldiers chuckled. Another one of them approached Anna. She drew back against the bridge railing. He leaned in close, toying with one of her braids._

 _"What's your name, sweetheart?"_

 _"…Anna…"_

 _"And where are you from, Anna?"_

 _"Arendelle. I'm here for—"_

 _The second soldier turned back to his compatriots. "Hey, she's from Arendelle, fellas! She's good people!"_

 _The first soldier spoke again. "You know, Anna of Arendelle, you really shouldn't be out this late. But you're lucky we're here to protect you." He slipped an arm around her waist and she recoiled from his touch. "But you know," he continued, "you are out past curfew, and we have to—"_

 _"Shut up, soldier!" a voice boomed from one of the jeeps. The rest of them stood straight and went silent. A figure rose up from the backseat from where he'd been lying down. He looked them over sternly and then pointed at Anna._

 _"They're not supposed to know, you idiot. Let her go." The two soldiers crowding Anna trotted back over to the jeeps._

" _This never happened, understand me girl?" Anna nodded quickly and ran off, not looking back._

 _She kept running until she was in a more familiar area. She leaned against a wall to catch her breath. She saw headlights coming up from around the corner up ahead. She tensed up but relaxed at the sight of a taxi. She ran over, flagging it down. The elderly driver said, "Please please get in, dear." She happily obliged, collapsing into the back seat. She mumbled out her address and they drove off. Anna took off one of her shoes, rubbing her sore foot. Flats like these were not kind during long distances._

 _Fifteen minutes later, the taxi pulled up to the bungalow. She paid her fare, giving the man a generous tip. As she stepped out, Kristoff ran up to her, grabbing her shoulders._

" _Where have you been?!" She crumpled up against him. Over his shoulder, she saw Rapunzel watching from the porch, a look of relief washing over her face._

" _It's a long story," she sighed. "Can I tell you in the morning? I just want to sleep now, Kristoff." He draped a protective arm around her as they walked up. Rapunzel hugged her tightly, whispering, "Thank goodness you're safe." She shut the door behind them as they entered._

 _Somewhere in the far distance was the sound of gunfire, and an orange glow suddenly bloomed with a low rumble._


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hey, here's chapter 2 after almost a month! This one is a bit longer than the first chapter & a lot goes in it. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

* * *

Elsa sat across from the council minister, hands neatly folded on her lap. The office was decorated in a rather extravagant style: on the wood-paneled walls hung portraits of famous former government officials, photographs of the minister with various dignitaries, memorabilia, and other items he'd collected over the years. Across the room were massive bookcases and glass cabinets full of more memorabilia; there was even a suit of armor standing in the corner. The vaulted ceiling was painted an unlovely green color and a large chandelier hung from it. Elsa waited patiently for the minister to say something. She smiled softly at the large Arendelle flag that hung behind him.

The minister, a pale and pudgy man by the name of Jespers, was hunched forward in his highback chair, intently studying the case file spread before him. Elsa had made his acquaintance several times before at various high-powered functions she had attended. Business and politics _always_ mix no matter how hard you try to avoid it, she thought. Corporations want something favorable from the politicians and the politicians require something in return, quid pro quo, on and on again.

"Have you spoken with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yet, Miss Ekdahl?"

"All they seem to know is that my sister is missing. They advised me to speak to you, sir."

"What about our embassy down there, and the consulate?"

"Well, with their currently busy schedule and such, they advised me to speak to Foreign Affairs, who as I've said, told me to come to you. After numerous phone calls and speaking with a variety of different people, you're the first human being I've had an actual face to face conversation with regarding this whole situation." Elsa clenched her jaw.

"Ah yes," muttered Jespers.

"May I ask you a question, minister?"

"Certainly."

"Seeing as we've had the sanctions on Weselton for a while, it strikes me as a bit odd that we can have things back to normal with them so quickly, especially given their current political climate, don't you think?"

"Yes, well…you see…the nature of these kinds of situations is very delicate. Geography and politics and—"

"Sir, I understand these things perfectly well. I'm sure you knew my mother…"

"I certainly did. She was one of the finest civil servants Arendelle has ever known, and we are all most grateful for her contributions. Now, about your sister Anna…why exactly was she in Weselton?"

"She was there for a philanthropic mission. She had read or seen something about how poorly the people were living down there and wanted to help, I guess."

"You didn't approve, I take it?"

"That's…immaterial, really."

"Is philanthropy Anna's occupation?"

"I suppose so. She's never really had an occupation in the traditional sense. She has an arts degree, though."

"I see. Well, Miss Ekdahl, there's only so much I can do about this situation from where I stand, given the facts. That's not to say that I don't care—quite the contrary, with you and Anna being Arendelle citizens _and_ members of my constituency. What I'm going to do is set you up with an official appointment with someone from Foreign Affairs who has greater access to the information." He rose from behind his desk and walked around to Elsa.

"Rest assured, this government will do everything it can to find your sister."

* * *

"Miss Ekdahl, after our investigation, this government can find no trace of your sister."

Elsa just stared at the man sitting adjacent to her at the table, nearly forgetting to blink. He and his assistant exchanged a nervous look.

"What exactly does that mean?"

"Well, you see, the government of Weselton does not have a record of any, ah, Anna Ekdahl leaving the country. Like any country, you see, they keep track of –"

"Yes yes, I understand that. But what you're telling me is that they're not looking, is that it?"

"No ma'am, certainly not. The proper reports have been filed with the local police there. With their current political climate, their resources are rather strained. That's not to say anyone's given up on her. We're putting diplomatic pressure on them to speed results."

"Can you tell me why exactly she was let into the country? I'd assume they wouldn't be too keen on accepting Arendellian passports."

"That is their prerogative. We certainly have no control over that." The minister shuffled through some papers. "What I can say is that your sister and her companion, one Kristoff Bjorgman, were granted a diplomatic status through the work of a third party, a Rapunzel Vollmer. She is the daughter of the Coronian—"

"Prime Minister, yes. She was the one that initially phoned me about the situation."

"It appears that Miss Vollmer had their endeavor classified as an international organization under the laws of her country, which afforded them the specific diplomatic status I mentioned."

"But shouldn't that prevent this kind of thing from happening? The way I understood it, as my mother did, is that—"

"Yes, well, the minutiae of international law regarding diplomatic procedure is very…academic. And as I've said, the situation down there is rather hectic, which further hinders things." Elsa rubbed her eyes and sighed.

"Look here." She produced an article on her tablet and showed it to the minister and his assistant. "This article says that my sister was arrested by the local police. It also says that many people, Arendellians and other foreigners and even their own citizens included, have been arrested for what they call high crimes and treason against the Weseltonian government."

"Yes, we are aware of that article. Your sister's friends Mister Bjorgman and Miss Vollmer reported that. They'd been pestering the embassy. At least that's what I was told." The minister softly chuckled.

"Kristoff…er, Mister Bjorgman is Anna's longtime boyfriend. He confirmed to me everything Miss Vollmer said."

The assistant spoke up. "While they were some citizens of our country that were arrested, and most of them wrongfully so I might add, they've all been released thanks to the diligent efforts of our embassy. The last two were," the assistant shuffled through some papers, "a couple of journalists, Sven Haraldsson and Olaf Solstrand."

"Friends of Anna," the minister added.

"And apparently Mister Solstrand left the country without even thanking the embassy."

The minister smiled at Elsa. "Miss Ekdahl, this is going to take some time. I suggest you go back home, relax, and let us handle it."

* * *

Elsa was becoming accustomed to the bland interiors of government buildings. The giddy lens of childhood from when she accompanied her parents to work had made the offices seem like otherworldly places of power. And now that view had faded to a sober reality of bureaucracy. These places were just a means to an end.

She sat on the cold metal bench in the lobby, idly sipping a cup of coffee. She'd been waiting for about twenty minutes when a young man in an ill-fitting suit came up to greet her.

"Miss Ekdahl? I'm Rupert Lange, the executive assistant to the Deputy Prime Minister. Nice to meet you. He's carved out some time in his schedule to meet with you. This way please." He led her down another hallway. "I was just an intern when your mother held her office. She was a fascinating and intelligent woman."

"Thank you, Mister Lange."

"Have you met Minister Rasmussen before?"

"We've met a few times before. I doubt he remembers me."

Lange opened a large wooden door and led Elsa into a large wood-paneled office, much like the ones she'd been in before. Several secretaries sat at computer consoles, their attention fixated on whatever task lay before them.

"Do you mind waiting here for a moment?"

"Certainly." Lange went through a door on the opposite side of the room. Elsa walked over to the windows and looked out. A light rain was falling.

"Elsa! How nice to see you again!" She turned around, startled. Rasmussen approached her, arms open for a hug. She braced herself. He was a large man. After the hug ended, he kept an arm around her shoulder and guided her towards the platoon of assistants, who watched eagerly.

"Everyone, this is Elsa Ekdahl, one of our country's finest businesswomen and the eldest daughter of one of Arendelle's most devoted civil servants, whom I had the honor of serving under a long time ago." The assistants all clapped. Elsa managed a quick smile before slipping out of Rasmussen's grasp.

"Thank you, minister. Could we discuss my situation?" She gestured towards his office.

"Do you mind if we walk and talk?" He began walking towards the main door, his assistants following in a flock behind him. Elsa followed them.

As they went down the hallway, Lange handed his boss a file, who flipped through it.

"So what's been said?"

"Well, you see—" Elsa began. Lange interrupted her.

"We believe she is in hiding somewhere in the country.

"That's not what—" Elsa replied.

"Hiding, you say?" Rasmussen interjected.

"Yes sir, we think she may reveal herself once the situation down there has cooled down."

"Elsa, what are your sister's politics?"

"I suppose she's aligned to the left. She's certainly of a caring nature, full of good intentions—"

"Normal left or radical left?"

"I don't think that…does such a thing matter?"

"No, not really," Rasmussen chuckled. The group had stopped. An assistant held open another door, through which the minister entered. He turned around to face Elsa.

"You needn't worry, Elsa. We'll handle this. Now if you'll excuse me."

The minister nodded and walked away. Each of the assistants shook her hand and said goodbye. The last one closed the door in her face. Elsa stood there for a moment. She looked back down the hallway. They had travelled only a hundred feet or so from where they started and she had no better idea of the situation than from where she began.

She took out her phone and dialed a number.

"Petra? I need you to book me the next flight out to Weselton, no matter the cost." She paused. "A week out? Is that all? Ugh, yes, I'll take that one. And start rearranging my schedule to fit around it. Tell whomever whatever you need to, it's important."

* * *

 _Anna sat on the porch enjoying the cool morning air. She, along with Kristoff and Rapunzel, were staying at the home of a friend of a friend. Since arriving in Weselton, they'd been expanding their network diligently and had made contacts and acquaintances with a number of people and organizations. They had wanted to visit the countryside outside the city and asked around about where they should go. One thing led to another and they ended up here. They arrived the night before and were planning on exploring the town and the area the next day. It was a nice house in a nice mountain town and their hosts, Gerda and Kai, were quite affable._

 _The front door opened and out stepped Gerda, carrying two mugs of coffee. She sat down next to Anna, handing her one._

" _Thank you."_

" _So, enjoying the view?"_

" _Yeah, it's so lovely. You're so lucky to live in a place like this."_

" _We love it out here. The husband and I always said once we made enough, we'd retire and take everything and move out into the country somewhere. The cities are nice and all, but…it's so much different here, so much better."_

" _Again, thanks for letting us stay. We really appreciate it."_

" _Oh, don't mention it. Once my cousin explained who you were and what you were doing, it felt like the right thing to do. I should be thanking you. I'm sure a lot of people are." Anna smiled._

" _Can I ask you something, Gerda?"_

" _Certainly."_

" _How bad was it in Weselton? I mean, after the whole incident." Gerda sighed heavily._

" _Well, it was a lot worse in the cities, I can tell you. The stock markets fell, the price of food went up, people were losing their jobs…it was horrible. Weselton had other trade partners, so the country didn't rip itself apart. But having Arendelle isolate us like that really changed things."_

" _Were the people here mad at us for that?"_

" _Some were, I suppose. But the majority of us were mad at the government. Still are. The truth came to light fairly quickly, I mean. Their support started to die off rather fast. There were protests and riots every other day, it seemed. Yet those bastards hung on." She paused, looking off into the distance. "Weselton was a madhouse."_

" _I'm sorry."_

" _Oh it's not your fault, love. It's the government. But Weselton still prevails. Things have gotten better." She patted Anna's knee maternally. "Now, how about you help me get breakfast going, yeah?"_

* * *

 _The trio had spent the morning exploring the town and all its charms. Little curio shops and boutiques sprinkled the cobblestoned downtown streets. There were delis and bars and bakeries and an open-air farmer's market, much like any other place. They had a delightful art gallery and even a trolley car that did a loop around the main part of the town. Anna had taken many photographs, nearly three rolls worth._

 _They had stopped at a café for lunch. They were seated in a booth near the back where Kristoff was busy scarfing down a burger and fries while Anna and Rapunzel shared a pizza._

" _So have you heard any news from your parents about getting more supplies?"_

" _Officially, no. But I've bugged them enough to get them to help in an unofficial capacity if you get my drift. We're just saying that it's all my idea, as a personal thing, just so Corona doesn't get into any kind of diplomatic mess with Arendelle."_

" _That much trouble, huh?" Rapunzel shrugged._

" _The joys of being the prime minister's daughter."_

" _Pass the pepper please," Kristoff said through a mouthful of food, managing to not spray it everywhere. Anna obliged him, smirking._

" _Have you heard anything from Elsa?" Anna looked down at her food, shaking her head._

" _I've sent a couple emails, no reply. I figured that would be easier than a phone call, seeing how her work takes up her time."_

" _She never liked this whole plan, did she?" Anna shook her head again._

" _I spoke to her a while back about it. She…she wasn't too enthusiastic, to say the least."_

" _I'm sure she'll change her mind once she sees the results from down here." Rapunzel squeezed her friend's hand. Kristoff slipped an arm around Anna._

" _She's right, babe. They're gonna call you a hero when we get back, you'll see. I bet there's even some award they'll give you too." She blushed as he kissed her cheek._

 _It was then that two men approached their booth. One was tall, bearded and ruggedly handsome while the other was much shorter, pale with a shaved head. He spoke first._

" _Sorry to bother you folks, but we couldn't help overhearing you…I mean, we're not eavesdropping or anything…"_

" _What he means is that a minute ago you mentioned Arendelle. You see, we're from there and we write for a magazine called Seminar."_

" _Yes, I've heard of it!" Anna replied._

 _The short one spoke again. "I'm sorry, we should introduce ourselves. My name is Olaf Solstrand and this is Sven Haraldsson. Pleased to meet you."_

" _I'm Anna Ekdahl and this is my boyfriend Kristoff and this is—"_

" _Rapunzel Vollmer," Sven said. "Funny thing meeting someone as famous as you in a place like this."_

" _I'm sorry, did you say your last name was Ekdahl? Any relation to the Elsa Ekdahl of Arendelle Capital Group?" Olaf asked._

" _We're sisters."_

" _Well how about that. Are you three on some kind of vacation here?"_

" _No, not really. Well, maybe for a couple days right now. We're actually on a philanthropic mission," Anna replied proudly. "Regardless of the sanctions Arendelle has put on Weselton, we've decided we should help the people here and try and restore some good will between our countries."_

" _And Corona too, huh?" Sven said._

" _In a manner of speaking, yes," replied Rapunzel._

 _Kristoff spoke up. "So you said you guys write for a magazine. What are you writing about?"_

" _Well, it's kind of similar to what you all are here for. You see, we're writing a long-form piece about what life is like throughout Weselton under the sanctions. We've been here for several weeks now, travelling across the country, interviewing people, taking photographs, and putting our story together. Would you three mind being a part of it…?" Olaf and Sven leaned forward. Anna, Kristoff and Rapunzel all looked at each other. Anna smiled._

" _Sure, why not!"_

" _Fantastic! Let's get started." Olaf pulled a notebook and pen from his bag and pulled up a chair. Sven did the same. They interviewed the trio for much of the afternoon. They even had more food brought over, which they graciously paid for. When they were done, the sun was dipping towards the horizon._

" _So in your opinion, I mean since you've been here longer, how bad off is Weselton?" Rapunzel asked._

 _Sven and Olaf looked at each other for a moment. Olaf replied, "It's gotten better, we think. And it'll continue to now that they've got all these new mines opening up."_

" _Mines? Like gold or diamonds or something?" Kristoff asked._

" _Iron ore, actually," Sven replied. "It'll be a nice jump to their steel industry."_

" _Where are they at?"_

" _Just up a bit higher in the forests outside the town here. We can show you guys if you'd like." Kristoff nodded._

" _Where are guys staying? We can pick you up tomorrow and drive up there. We've taken up enough of your time today."_

" _We're staying with some friends here. I can give you the address." Anna wrote it down on a piece of paper and handed it to Olaf._

" _Great! We'll see you tomorrow then!"_

* * *

 _Anna leaned back in her seat, taking advantage of the fact that it was an open-top jeep they were riding in. She watched the sunlight dancing through the canopy of the trees, taking a photograph when the feeling took her. The road they were on wound its way through the forest, up and down, slowly gaining altitude as it went along. She sat in the back seat with Kristoff and Rapunzel while Sven drove and Olaf talked to everyone from the front passenger seat._

 _They really encountered few other vehicles on their way in, but they passed many vehicles in the other lanes. Convoys of large trucks belonging to the state mining company, usually along with a car or jeep from the military with armed soldiers and ranking officials. Anna took some photos of those too. She leaned forward and spoke to Olaf._

" _Have you noticed a lot of army types around lately? We've seen a lot in the city."_

" _Yes we have, ever since we flew in. Especially up here with the miners. And we've heard they've got a large presence in other places around Weselton, too. Really strange."_

" _What do you think they're doing?"_

" _No idea, really. Could be anything."_

 _Sven leaned in to speak as he drove. "What he's not telling you is that we've spoken to some people, and we're still in the process of verifying it, but we've spoken to some people who have said there's dissent in the government that's been brewing for a while." Olaf nodded in agreement._

" _What's the trouble you think?" Rapunzel asked._

" _Something to do with the sanctions, I'd imagine," Olaf replied._

 _Sven added, "There's a growing faction within the Weseltonian government that's angry at the Duke for not taking a more proactive stance against the sanctions and against the government of Arendelle. They claim to be responding to the will of the people. They want him out and they've got the military on their side."_

" _That's a coup," Kristoff said. Everyone went momentarily silent. The road went up a steep incline. At the top, Sven found a place to pull off the road. The group had an unfettered panoramic view of the area._

" _Look down there," Sven said. He pointed down into the valley below. The side of a mountainous wall had been stripped of trees and the rock gutted. It was a vast and intense mining operation that was happening. Hundreds of miners were working, both outside and inside the tunnels that wound their way inside the earth. Monstrous machinery churned, processing the rock for the precious metals held within. Large dumptrucks and bulldozers roared around the site, rumbling along the makeshift roads. Further down the valley, they saw more operations toiling away. They even heard the distant blasts of dynamite echoing across the valley walls as new mines were being dug. It all resembled some kind of mechanized hell, Anna thought. She took photos of the scene, switching the lens on her camera when needed. It was all a sight to behold._

" _It's been like this well before we ever arrived. They go around the clock, day and night. There's military guys around always. I don't get it. I mean, it's good for their economy with all the new jobs that it generates. And not to mention all the steel they can export and sell now. Weselton steel has a great reputation. But the military, man…" Sven trailed off._

" _They could use that in the fight. Not an actual fight, but a metaphorical one. Propaganda. 'Hey look at us! Weselton is back! Damn the sanctions!' Stuff like that," Olaf replied._

 _More trucks rumbled by them, their occupants staring down at the group. Sven started the jeep back up. "There's something else you should see," he said. "It's on the other side of the mountain, another town."_

* * *

 _The next town was much like the previous one in many respects. Sven drove slowly and carefully through the streets._

" _Notice anything?" he asked._

 _Anna and the others looked around. Like before, they was an alarmingly large military presence for such a small mountain town. Soldiers walked along the sidewalks, in and out of shops as if they were the town's only citizens. Jeeps and other vehicles crowded the streets._

" _They swarm like ants," Rapunzel replied._

" _Just one more thing and then we'll take you home." Sven began driving out of the town again._

 _They followed the winding road again for a few more miles when Sven drove off the road into the forest a short distance. He turned off the ignition and turned to everyone._

" _Now we take a little walk."_

 _The five of them walked through the forest for a little while, Sven and Olaf leading the way. The forest was quite lovely and full of life. Birds chirped and flew overhead while small furry animals scurried across the ground in the near distance. Anna couldn't help but take photographs when she could. The trees began to thin out, and up ahead she saw a small valley slowly come into view. As they got closer, she saw it opened up to the ocean, with a stretch of sandy beach._

 _Sven pointed and said, "Take a look down there."_

 _Further up the beach, there was a large house atop a treeless hill. Out front of it were many cars, both civilian and military. Squinting her eyes, Anna saw milling around in the grassy yards surrounding the house. There were many more gathered on the patio at the back. It looked like some kind of party was going on: there were tables of food, people dancing, and children playing in the pool. Sven handed her a pair of binoculars from his bag. She got a better look at the people; there seemed to be a lot of wealthy & important people gathered there, mingling with the ranking military types. Upon closer inspection, Anna saw some of the officers' uniforms were from the Arendelle military. She gasped._

" _What's wrong?" asked Kristoff. She handed him the binoculars._

" _Look. Recognize some of those outfits?" she replied. He scanned the crowd._

" _What the—"_

" _You saw some of our own people, didn't you?" Olaf replied. "Funny, isn't it?"_

" _Why would your country's military be involved down here? I thought they all hated each other." Rapuznel asked. Olaf turned to her._

" _That's what I'd love to know too. I wish we could get closer."_

 _Anna had switched the lens on her camera to a telephoto and began snapping pictures. Looking through the viewfinder, she caught sight of a man whom she swore she'd seen working at Elsa's bank, a colleague of some sort._

" _This reeks," she said._

 _Sven began walking. "Come on, let's get you all back before nightfall."_

 _The walk back to the jeep had been fraught with terse talk and speculation over exactly what was going on. With the various bits of information that Olaf and Sven had gathered, none of them could put a definite idea together. As they approached the jeep, they heard voices. Cautiously, they moved forward and saw four armed soldiers inspecting it. Upon hearing them draw near, a soldier turned around quickly, rifle raised. The others did the same._

" _We're friendlies!" Olaf cried out._

" _Is this your vehicle?" a soldier asked._

" _It is," replied Sven._

" _What were you doing out there?"_

" _Just a nature hike, that's all."_

" _Identification please."_

 _The all moved towards the soldiers slowly, producing their passports, which were taken by one of the soldiers, who reviewed them._

" _Wait here," he said and went back to his truck while the other three kept their guns trained on the group. Anna saw the first soldier on a telephone, relaying their passport information. After a few minutes he came back and gave them their passports._

" _Be on your way."_

 _The soldiers gathered into their truck and left promptly. Anna and the others stood there and let out a long breath before getting in Sven's jeep and driving away. They drove in silence for most of the way. After a while, they stopped at a gas station. As Sven filled the tank, Anna stepped out to buy something to drink. As she searched among the coolers inside the station, she noticed a bulletin board on the far wall with many photographs pinned to it. She stepped over to it, curious. The people pictured were from all walks of life, young and old, men and women. Written below their photographs, which were mostly candids, were phrases such as MISSING SINCE and HAVE YOU SEEN ME? Anna noticed that the dates these people had been missing since were all within the last few weeks. She studied their faces, her own face falling as she saw their happiness and thought about how distressed their families were. Where did you go?, she wondered._

 _Kristoff poked his head in the door. "You ready babe? We're leaving."_

" _Yeah, just a second." She quickly paid the attendant and left, the thought of the missing still on her mind._

* * *

As the plane landed, Elsa looked out the window and noticed a large amount of armed soldiers patrolling the grounds of the airport. There were just as many inside the airport, she noticed. The terminal interior was a sight to behold, a sort of controlled chaos. The amount of people leaving and arriving baffled Elsa. What the hell is going on?, she thought. The wait for her luggage was terrible, and on her way to Customs she noticed a man in a suit directing people to either keep walking or to enter another lobby in a seemingly arbitrary fashion.

Once at Customs, the official took his time to process her, periodically looking up with what she thought was a suspicious glint in his eye. Without saying anything, he left his post and disappeared into a back office, where he reappeared after a few minutes with a grey-haired military official following him. This man took her passport and motioned Elsa to follow him over to an empty cordoned area on the far side of the room. He waved over two soldiers.

"Empty your bag out onto the table please."

"What for? I've done nothing wrong," she replied.

"Do it, please." The two soldiers raised their guns at her. Shocked, Elsa opened her suitcase and began taking out the contents. Just then, a thin man in a grey suit ran over waving. He had slicked-back blonde hair and wore wire-frame glasses.

"Colonel! That won't be necessary, thank you!" This man took Elsa's passport away from the colonel and handed it back to her.

"Thank you gentlemen that will be all." The colonel and his soldiers walked away. "I am so sorry about that, Miss Ekdahl. They were just following their standard protocol. I'm Lars Angstrom, the Arendelle consul. The Department of Foreign Affairs called to let us know you were coming. Pleased to meet you." He quickly shook her hand. "Here, let me help you with this." He began helping repack her suitcase.

"Standard protocol for what?"

"Right this way please. I have a car waiting for us."

"Have you heard anything from my sister?"

"Ah, no, but I believe we have a good grip on the situation. If you'll follow me please."

As they made their way out of the airport they passed a family in the midst of being split up by a group of soldiers. Completely ignoring the impassioned cries of the mother and children, they hauled away the father kicking and screaming in front of everyone. One of the soldiers gut-punched the man with the butt of his rifle to shut him up. Elsa motioned to the situation and said, "You would think there was a war going on."

"Well there is, sort of," the consul replied.

"I thought the coup was over?"

"It is and it isn't."

Once outside, Angstrom waved over his driver. As they waited for the car to pull around, Elsa noticed a distraught older woman, a grandmother perhaps, running up to people, showing them a photograph of a man that she desperately clutched in her hands. She wailed, "Have you seen my son? Have you seen him? He's been missing for many days now, please help me!"

The car reached them and the driver quickly got out and took Elsa's suitcase, placing it in the trunk. Angstrom held the door open and gestured Elsa in.

"I don't understand why you'd want to work in such a place, Mr. Angstrom."

"It's not such a bad place, really. Just a confusing time right now."

"How long have you been here?"

"Let's see…four years, five months, two weeks and three days."

Elsa laughed. "Eager to leave, huh?"

"At some point, yes. I'd love to be stationed in Agrabah someday. Now what hotel were you staying at again?"

"The Brandt Hotel."

"If you please, driver."

Before the car sped off, the elderly woman with the photograph pressed herself against the window and yelled, "Please!"

Along the way, Elsa took in what she could see of the capital city. Some parts were better than others, she thought, and all had the military running about. She noticed the sides of buildings marked with bullet holes and graffiti, saying things like LONG LIVE FREEDOM and DOWN WITH THE DUKE. In some places people were painting over such things at gunpoint. There were buildings that were blown up into rubble, some still on fire and smoking. She saw trucks carrying full loads of protesting civilians and others being pulled out of their homes. There were some even living and sleeping on street corners, the difference between the normal homeless vagrants and the newly homeless Elsa could not tell. She sneered at it all. This country has brought it upon itself, she thought.

They arrived at the hotel about twenty minutes later. As they pulled up and the hotel staff helped, Elsa noticed Kristoff and Rapunzel standing nearby, scanning the crowd. She stepped out of the car and waved.

"Kristoff! Rapunzel!" They turned and saw her, running over.

"We're so sorry we couldn't meet you at the airport, Elsa!" Rapuznel exclaimed.

"We've been waiting on this Admiral Hoftstadt all day so we could speak to him and it's been so…I'm glad to see you, Elsa." Kristoff hugged Elsa, much to her surprise.

"Mister Bjorgman, Miss Vollmer," the consul began, "how are you today?" The duo regarded him with blank expressions. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Rapunzel replied, "We're fine."

"Good good…ah, Miss Ekdahl, the ambassador will see you at three this afternoon, so we'll pick you up at two-thirty, yes?"

"That will be good, thank you consul."

Angstrom got back into the car and it drove away. The baggage clerk carried Elsa's bag and gestured for the group to follow.

"I thought you all were staying in an actual house," Elsa said.

"We were. It's just not safe there anymore," Kristoff replied.

* * *

Once she was checked in and arrived in her room, Elsa began to unpack. Kristoff and Rapunzel joined her and sat quietly by the windows. It was a large room, one of the hotel's top suites.

"How was your flight?" Rapunzel asked.

With a long sigh Elsa replied, "Absolutely delightful."

"How's work?" Kristoff asked.

Puzzled by the question, Elsa said, "Work is fine." She walked around the room inspecting things. There was a long moment of silence.

"Do you blame us?" Rapunzel asked, her voice quivering. Elsa remained quiet.

"Did you learn anything from your government friends?" Kristoff asked.

"Well, no unfortunately, but Angstrom says everything is in good hands." Kristoff and Rapunzel both scoffed aloud.

"No? Why do you think that?"

"Elsa…she's been gone almost three weeks…" Kristoff replied.

"And every single time we talk to the police or the embassy, they always tell us the same things, over and over again. I really don't expect a whole lot from them anymore," Rapunzel added.

"Look, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get here. Things on my end weren't that easy to set up at times. I did the best I could, given the circumstances. I apologize for the wait."

"She could be hurt somewhere…or tortured…they don't care about her…" Kristoff trailed off, his eyes on the verge of tears. Rapunzel hugged him tightly.

"Look, I don't need to hear your paranoid fantasies about kidnapping and torture and all of that, okay?! I certainly got enough of crazy stories from growing up with Anna. There's an explanation for all of this," Elsa snapped. She felt her whole body tremble. "If she had thought more carefully about this whole trip, then we wouldn't even be in this situation." Elsa pointed at Rapunzel. "And where did you get the idea to go about and use your status to pull strings and help her achieve this…this damned insanity!" Elsa pulled back once she saw them both start silently weep.

"Please don't cry." Kristoff and Rapunzel wiped away their tears, sniffling.

"I'll find her," Elsa said. She went back to unpacking. She pulled out a small gift-wrapped box and handed it to Kristoff.

"It's her favorite chocolates. I thought she might like them." He forced a smile.

Elsa walked over to a window to draw back the curtains and let some more light in. The scene down below in the street was the same thing she'd been seeing since arriving in Weselton. She sighed, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the windowpane.

"What did she do?"

"What?"

"What did Anna do? What stupid thing did she do to get arrested, or need to go into hiding?"

"Elsa, Anna's not stupid. She'd never—" Kristoff began.

"Well she's not too smart! Getting into such a mess that I have to fly nine hours into a hellhole like this just to help figure it out." Elsa took a moment to calm down. She turned to look at Rapunzel and Kristoff. "Sometimes I think that girl is completely incapable of living a normal life. Unless her idea of normal is to give idealistic speeches to poor people and write travelogues of her journeys."

"Well why don't you go back home and let us find her?" Rapunzel snapped back.

"Look, I'm very tired right now and the trip over wasn't that pleasant and this whole situation has me very stressed out, so I'm going to rest for a bit and then I'll be downstairs. Meet me in—" Elsa began, but before she could finish, Kristoff and Rapunzel were out of the room, slamming the door behind them.

* * *

The Arendelle embassy was located in a large and rather old mansion that had been converted for its new purpose, located on well-landscaped grounds and surrounded by high, reinforced brick-and-metal walls. The car pulled through the massive iron gate, which was guarded by Arendelle soldiers, who also patrolled the grounds, Elsa saw. She smiled, secure in the notion that her own countrymen would have the answers. Kristoff and Rapunzel merely frowned at the place.

Angstrom guided them into the building and down the lushly carpeted halls. The interior was well-decorated. The consul open a large set of oak doors and motioned them in. Three men stood up from where they were seated and approached them as Angstrom made the introductions and everyone shook hands.

"Miss Ekdahl, please meet our ambassador, Soren Van Der Lyle. And this is Captain Hammerstahl from the Arendelle Army. He's our senior military officer here. And this is Colonel Wyndgarde our Defense Department attaché." Van Der Lyle was a large, well-coiffed man dressed in a very expensive-looking dark navy suit. Hammerstahl was a stout man with salt-and-pepper hair and dressed in a modest black suit while Wyndgarde was a short, thin, and balding man dressed in full Arendellian military regalia, complete with medals and everything.

"Pleased to meet you all," Elsa said, smiling.

"I hope you've enjoyed your stay so far, Miss Ekdahl," Van Der Lyle replied. "Mister Bjorgmann, Miss Vollmer, how are we today?" Kristoff and Rapunzel nodded and mumbled a greeting.

"Please, let's all be seated," Angstrom said. Everyone took their seats. "Shall I begin?" he continued.

"Yes consul, but before you do," Van Der Lyle turned to face Elsa, "Miss Ekdahl, I want to say, on behalf of the Arendellian government, we are very concerned about your sister's disappearance and are using and will continue to use every tool at our disposal to bring Anna home safely where she belongs."

Elsa's smile grew twice its size. "Thank you very much, ambassador. I was hoping to hear that."

"Consul, please begin," Van Der Lyle said.

"Well sir, we've conducted an extensive investigation. Captain Hammerstahl and his staff have interviewed the residents of the area where Anna was last seen while Colonel Wyndgarde has been in constant contact with the local police and military authorities. But after analyzing all the data we've collected, we still conclude that she must be in hiding."

"In hiding from what?" Kristoff snapped.

"A very valid question, Mister Bjorgman, and one we'd also like answered," Van Der Lyle replied.

"Look, we've been through this a thousand times already. You all know she's not in hiding. The whole neighborhood saw him get picked up by some Army squad," Rapunzel retorted, angrily crossing her arms. Elsa look surprised at their outbursts.

"The military swears they don't have her in their custody," Hammerstahl said.

"Miss Vollmer, I've personally been to the central police station as well as many of its branches, along with the Weseltonian Department of Investigations, and I even managed to get into the main prison, which is no small feat given the current circumstances, and Anna is simply not in anyone's keep," Angstrom replied.

Van Der Lyle leaned forward. "So you see, Miss Ekdahl, the hiding theory is the most logical explanation, at least for the time being." Elsa nodded in agreement.

"That's stupid. If she was in hiding, she would've called us by now and let us know she's okay," Kristoff declared.

"Maybe she can't," Wyndgarde uttered, "there's been large numbers of civilian…accidents…and injuries."

Rapunzel rolled her eyes and sneered. Elsa was about to speak when a series of loud gunshots rang out from beyond the open window she sat near.

"Were you going to say something, Miss Ekdahl?" Van Der Lyle asked. She focused her attention.

"Ah, yes. As the Colonel said, if Anna was possibly injured, it stands to reason that she could be in a coma, or suffering from amnesia perhaps." She turned to Angstrom. "Have you checked the hospitals, consul?"

"I've checked some of them and—"

"Why not all of them?" Van Der Lyle asked. More gunshots were fired, breaking Elsa's concentration. They sounded closer this time. Noticing her discomfort, Hammerstahl got up and closed the window.

"Well you see, some of these hospitals are rather hard to get into right now, and—"

Rapunzel leaned towards Elsa. "What he means to say is that it's hard to walk around in them because of all the bodies stacked up." Rapunzel glared at Angstrom, who nervously paused.

"Well, what we know is where Anna isn't." He smiled at Elsa, who smiled back.

"I may have some new information, at least after tonight. I'll be having dinner with the head of the Weselton government's Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Hoftstadt," Hammerstahl added.

Kristoff laughed. "That excuse again? Haven't you seen him yet?"

Hammerstahl forced a smile. "These people are quite busy."

"I'm sure they are," Kristoff muttered.

"By the way, Kristoff, have you got that list I asked you for?" Hammerstahl asked.

"What list?" Elsa said, turning to Kristoff.

"I've asked him for a list of Anna's friends and associates so that we may conduct some more interviews and get more information regarding your sister's whereabouts, Miss Ekdahl."

"Oh, I see," Elsa replied, smiling, "I'll be sure you get it later, Captain. Ah, Kristoff, didn't you say earlier that there were some others from Arendelle that Anna knew who were contacted by the military after she was, ah, supposedly arrested?"

"Yes, there were and they all called the consulate," he replied.

"Telephone calls?" Van Der Lyle asked.

"I was unaware of any calls, sir," Angstrom replied.

"Yes you were," Kristoff angrily replied, "one of your assistants showed me the call logs!"

Angstrom slapped his forehead. "Of course, you're right! I had completely forgotten about it." He turned towards the ambassador. "I apologize sir."

"Consul, please look further into that. And we'll all meet again in a few days to discuss our findings. Is that acceptable for you, Miss Ekdahl?" Van Der Lyle asked.

"It certainly is sir, thank you," she replied.

After everyone said their goodbyes, Angstrom led them out of the building where a car was waiting.

"Miss Ekdahl, thank you for your patience and in the meantime, if you have any questions or need anything at all, please do not hesitate to call us." He gave her a business card.

"Thank you very much. And I'll see to it that you get that list of names."

"No they won't," Kristoff muttered under his breath. Elsa glared at him.

"So I'll look more into the phone calls and contact the hospitals and let you know."

"Thank you, consul."

"Please, call me Lars." They shook hands, and he walked back inside. Elsa turned to Kristoff and Rapunzel.

"What in the hell is wrong with you two?!" Rapunzel groaned out loud.

"Why won't you two cooperate?"

"We are cooperating!" Kristoff replied. "We've been cooperating the whole time! We're just tired of being strung along by these people!"

They all got in, slamming the doors as the car drove off.


End file.
